YOUNG PILOT
Uhhh... yup. Think so.
Suddenly, the door opens and a pale DUTY SERGEANT enters.
DUTY SERGEANT
Sir...telephone, sir.
INT. DUTY OFFICE - DAY
Ecker enters, marches over to the phone. All the SOLDIERS in
the room stare at him. Ecker wiggles his cigar to a corner
of his mouth, picks up, styling.
ECKER
VFP-62, Fightin' Photo, here. But what
we really want to do is direct.
INTERCUT CALL TO:
INT. WHITE HOUSE SWITCHBOARD - CONTINUOUS
Margaret works her magic.
MARGARET
This is the White House Operator. Hold
for the President.
INT. DUTY OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
Ecker blinks, becomes a mild lamb.
ECKER
Oh shit.
INT. WHITE HOUSE SWITCHBOARD - CONTINUOUS
MARGARET
Honey, you don't know what shit is.
BEGIN INTERCUT
INT. KENNY'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
Kenny, sitting on his desk, taps his fingers, looks at the
phone. He's kept Ecker on hold long enough - and picks up.
KENNY
Commander, my name is Ken O'Donnell.
Special Assistant to the President.
INTERCUT CALL TO:
INT. DUTY OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
Ecker exhales. It's not the President, but Ecker is so
shaken up it might as well be.
ECKER
Yes, sir.
KENNY (O.S.)
The President has instructed me to pass
along an order to you.
(beat)
You are not to get shot down.
Did he hear right?
ECKER
Uh... we'll do our best, sir.
INT. KENNY'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
KENNY
I don't think you understand me
correctly. You are not to get shot down
under any circumstances. Whatever
happens up there, you were not shot at.
Mechanical failures are fine; crashing
into mountains, fine. But you and your
men are not to be shot at, fired at,
launched upon.
INT. DUTY OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
Ecker sits down in a chair, sobered.
ECKER
Excuse me, sir, what's going on here?
INT. KENNY'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
Kenny stands, drops the hard nose bullshit.
KENNY
Commander, if you are fired upon, the
President will be forced to attack the
sites that fire on you. He doesn't want
to have to do that. It's very important
that he doesn't, or things could go very
badly out of control.